NurseLaw: Visa Bulletin for May 2007 and Pending Legislation

The US Department of State has released the Visa Bulletin for May 2007.  Here is the portion on employment-based visa:

	All Charge-ability Areas Except Those Listed	CHINA- mainland born	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIP-PINES
Employ-ment -Based
1st	C	C	C	C	C
2nd	C	22APR05	08JAN03	C	C
3rd	01AUG03	01AUG02	08MAY01	15MAY01	01AUG03
Other Workers	U	U	U	U	U
4th	C	C	C	C	C
Certain Religious Workers	C	C	C	C	C
Iraqi & Afghani Translators	18SEP06	18SEP06	18SEP06	18SEP06	18SEP06
5th	C	C	C	C	C
Targeted Employ-ment Areas/ Regional Centers	C	C	C	C	C

As expected, the priority date for nurses (Employment-Based Category 3) is still severely backlogged at August 1, 2003.  You will note that there is no Schedule A indicated in the visa bulletin.  This is because the cap for Schedule A has been reached and no law has yet been passed to address this matter.  There are, however, several bills pending in the US Congress that can solve the matter of retrogression (i.e. SKIL Act of 2007 [Senate Version and House Version], STRIVE Act of 2007, Nursing Relief Act of 2007, DREAM Act of 2007)

Internet and Copyright – Future of Internet copyright

With the demand for information – for free and the copyright laws, it is interesting how the courts will draw the line.  In this article from Tracy Warner, entitled, “Future of Internet Copyright, she tackles this issue.  There is that familiar proposition that the law will have to adopt to new technologies.  Read the article…

Anyway, to those interested in applying for copyright in the Philippines, the application is made at the Copyright Division of The National Library of the Philippines to T.M. Kalaw St., Ermita, Manila, Philippines.  Download the application form – front page and back page.

To know more about copyright laws in the Philippines check out the Copyright FAQ page of www.gov.ph and the Intellectual Property Office.

NurseLaw Notes H1B Cap for FY 2008 is reached

See the NurseLaw blog on this…

Pyramid of Success

I’ve always believed that sports is a great teacher of life.  So, when I see an idea which is a fusion of sports (basketball), business and law, I’m drawn to it.  When I came across the “Pyramid of Success” from John Wooden (the legendary basketball coach) in a business magazine (entrepreneur), I just thought what he pointed out are usefull to one’s business and/or law (or life).  Here’s the principles from bottom-up -

• Industriousness;
• Friendship;
• Loyalty;
• Cooperation;
• Enthusiasm;
• Self-control;
• Alertness;
• Initiative;
• Intentness;
• Condition;
• Skill;
• Team spirit;
• Poise;
• Confidence;
• Competitive greatness.

In the article, Wooden advices the use of the pyramid of success in business (and perhaps in the business of law) -

When asked for his advice on business, Wooden guides entrepreneurs to the top of the pyramid, where “patience” and “faith” flank the top block–”competitive greatness.” Wooden explains, “As an entrepreneur or small business owner, you must have patience, and you must believe. But, you must also have skills, and you have to realize you’re going to have to work at whatever it is you’re hoping to attain.”

Judging from his relationships with former players, perhaps the greatest business lesson to be learned from Wooden is how leaders should treat the people around them. “Make those under your supervision understand that you really care for them, not just for what they’re doing in the corporation but that you really care for them,” Wooden says. “I think anyone in a supervisor position has to do that.” For him, that meant letting his players know they weren’t playing for him, but with him as they worked toward a common goal. “My success was largely dependent on the type of youngsters I had under my supervision,” he adds.

Hill, in fact, says he learned how to lead by watching Wooden guide his teams to greatness. “The Pyramid of Success is an incredible model for business people,” he says. “Wooden’s no Donald Trump, and yet his mode of leadership is something that’s sorely missed in a lot of companies. The mark of a great leader is someone who’s successful over time, and that’s just what Coach Wooden has proven to be.”

These principles – proven in the realm of sports and life - are what we need in the success practice of law .

Converting Documents into PDF…for free

Unless you have a adobe professional installed in your computer, it’s likely that one of the things you’ve not been able to do is convert, for instance, your word documents into PDF format. If this is the case, a simple and free solution is to download PrimoPDF from activePDF.  PrimoPDF has the following features…

FREE PDF Converter – not a trial version.
Print to PDF from virtually any application.
Create PDF output optmized for print, screen, ebook, or prepress.
No annoying pop-up ads, no registration requirement – no catch!
High-quality, easy to use PDF creator for all users.

 activePDF described this tool as follows -

PrimoPDF is a free tool for high-quality PDF creation, comprising a user-friendly interface that enables printing to PDF from virtually any Windows application. Additionally, PrimoPDF provides the ability to optimize PDF output for screen, print, ebook, and prepress, secure PDF files with 40- or 128-bit encryption, and add document information (e.g. title, author, subject, keywords) to converted PDF files. Version 3.0 now provides full support for 64-bit machines, double byte character and non-TrueType font support, enhanced support for Microsoft Windows 98, ME, NT, and Vista and improved PDF output. Please note that this download is for 32-bit machines only. A 64-bit installer is available at the developer’s Web site.

The reason its in this AlinsugLaw blawg is because it’s FREE.  Try it (download now…) and get me some feedback.

Complete list of new lawyers

Congratulations to all new lawyers!!!  Here is the complete list from the Supreme Court…go to list.

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Supreme Court: 1,893 Pass 2006 Bar Exams

AlinsugLaw welcomes with pride the news that the bar topnotcher is from Baguio and two of the bar topnotchers are from Cebu.   AlinsugLaw’s mobile practice is physically based in Baguio and Cebu (and soon Makati). 

In its Court News Flash April 2007, the Philippine Supreme Court made the following announcement –

A total of 1,893 out of the 6,187 examinees from around 100 law schools nationwide hurdled the 2006 Bar examinations held during all four Sundays of September last year at the De La Salle University in Manila. Justice Angelina Sandoval Gutierrez chaired the 2006 Committee on Bar Examinations.

Justice Gutierrez said the number of those who passed represented 30.60 percent of the total examinees. The exams were administered through Deputy Clerk of Court and Bar Confidant Atty. Ma. Cristina B. Layusa.

The top 10 Bar passers are:

1st Place	MALIMBA, Noel Neil Q.	University of the Cordilleras	87.60%
2nd Place	ACOSTA, Deborah S. PILARES, III, Ricardo M.	University of the Philippines Ateneo de Manila University	87.40%
3rd Place	JIMENEZ, Erika Ana Andrea C.	Ateneo de Manila University	86.60%
4th Place	CARLOS, Maria Charizza B.	Ateneo de Manila University	86.10%
5th Place	RUBIO, Gina Lyn R.	Far Eastern University	85.75%
6th Place	TAN, Anjuli Larla A.	Dr. V Orestes Romualdez Educational Foundation Inc	85.70%
7th Place	GAVIOLA, Karen H.	University of San Carlos	85.68%
8th Place	ISMAEL, Al-shwaid L.	University of Cebu	85.65%
9th Place	MENDOZA, Timothy Joseph M.	University of the Philippines	85.55%
10th Place	VELOSO, Alain Charles J.	University of the Philippines	85.50%

The bar topnotcher in this latest bar exams is Noel Neil Malimban who obtained the highest rating of 87.60 percent. This is the second time that a graduate in the Northern Luzon law school garnered the highest ratings, following the achievement of Janet Abuel in 1998. 

SunStar Cebu reports that “[T]wo law graduates from Cebu who took the bar exams last September made it to the top 10.  Karen H. Gaviola, a cum laude graduate from the University of San Carlos (USC), placed seventh with a grade of 85.68 percent. Al-shawid L. Ismael of the University of Cebu ranked eighth, with a rating of 85.65 percent.”AlinsugLaw salutes all the bar passers.  AlinsugLaw also would like to congratulate its new compañero from Baguio, Atty. Marlo Quadra.

Alinsug Law Office
Cebu: Hi-way cor
J.S. Alinsug St.Basak, Mandaue
City 6014 Cebu, Philppines
 

Baguio:  No. 66 Sta. Escolastica

2600 Baguio City
Philippines

url:  www.alinsuglaw.com

e-mail:  homer@alinsuglaw.com

blawg:  alinsuglaw.wordpress.com 

mobile:  0917-6ahomer (0917-6246637) 

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Board Re-take Update

NurseLaw reminds nurses that the deadline for the registration for the special review for nurses who intend to retake the June 2006 board examination is set on April 4, 2007.  DOLE has announced the registration in its bulletin last April 1, 2007, which states in part as follows –

“The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Sunday reminded the passers of the June 20006 nursing board examination who are taking the retake of Tests III and V that the deadline of the registration for the special review classes is on Wednesday, April 4, 2007 .”

Nurses intending to re-take are thus reminded to register (on-line or manually) before going for the Holy Week vacation.  Register online.

Free review classes will be given in selected review centers.

Note that only nurses who took the June 2006 board exam and who have taken or intend to take the CGFNS are affected by this retake.  If you have no intention to work in the US as a registered nurse, you don’t need to do the re-take.  DOLE states that –

“The DOLE initiated the special voluntary retake for the employability of the nurses licensed under the June 2006 nursing board exam after the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) required the retake of Tests III and V for those applying for the VisaScreenVisa ScreenVisa-Screen Certificate.”

Readers will recall that the retake of the June 2006 was ordered by Pres. Arroyo through Executive Order No. 609.